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Surely even the lawyers must be getting bored of this by now: yes, even the lawyers even though they're being paid by the hour. For we've another round in the great global mess that is the Apple v Samsung and Samsung v Apple Great Patent Fight.

A U.S. judge allowed Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to pursue claims the iPhone5 infringes its patents on Thursday, while also allowing Apple Inc to add claims that the Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy S III and the Jelly Bean operating system violate its patents.

But Grewal wasn't happy with Apple getting a blanket claim against the Jelly Bean OS. He said that adding the Android OS could end up sucking other Samsung devices into the suit. He also pointed out that Jelly Bean is a Google product, not a Samsung one.

"Samsung also does not have any design control over the content of Jelly Bean as it is a Google Android product that Samsung itself did not develop," the ruling said. "The court will not permit a sweeping amendment that might apply to devices other than those properly tied to Samsung.

"The court will allow this proposed amendment, but only as to the Jelly Bean product Apple has specified: the Galaxy Nexus."

So it's only that one single iteration of Jelly Bean that is being tested, as and when this case comes to trial.

It is of course entirely different sets of patents that are being used by either side:

Over the last few months both Apple and Samsung have been asking to include additional products in their latest courtroom confrontation, and today both parties got what they wanted. In an order filed today, US Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal granted Samsung's request to include the iPhone 5 as one of its accused products; the company contends that Apple's latest flagship phone infringes on several of its standards-essential patents and several feature-specific patents. In kind, Apple will be able to name several products it's been anxious to accuse — including the Galaxy Note 10.1, all versions of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that were distributed on the Galaxy Nexus, and the Galaxy S III.

So different that we're actually looking at two very different cases. Samsung alleges breach of standards essential patents. There's no doubt that Apple is using those patents at all: for it uses the standards, it must do. The question is, is Samsung trying to charge a fair price for them (FRAND terms) or has Apple managed to license them through a tie up elsewhere? Apple on the other hand is alleging Samsung's breach of non standards patents. So we've an entirely different question to be answered: is Samsung breaching them or not? There's no legally unreasonable price they can claim they're being charged or offered, and not apparent way they could have licensed them elsewhere.

Don't forget, of course, that this is the second case: not the one that already led to a $1 billion ruling in Apple's favour:

The decision came in a second patent lawsuit between the two mobile device giants pending in San Jose, California. In an earlier lawsuit that went to trial in July, a jury found that Samsung infringed six of seven Apple patents at issue and awarded $1.05 billion in damages.

For better or for worse, never-ending litigation and sticky sales injunctions seem to becoming an unfortunate mainstay of the modern product cycle. We'll let you know when the ongoing battle poses a threat to your upgrade plans.

And in other news, Apple has been purchasing other patents elsewhere to boot its ability in such fights:

Apple is stocking up on patents.

The company has quietly snapped up more than a thousand patents in the past six months from Rockstar Consortium, a move that helps bolster it as it battles Google, Samsung, and other Android backers in the mobile-device market.

Apple's action came to light after a Korean regulator reported the transfer of 1,024 patents or patent applications from Rockstar to Apple, according to Yonhap News.

Sp we might expect more of this to come. Still, at least the lawyers will be happy.